Smelly rabbit

[t-dogg]

lately bobo has been smelling bad, he is neutered, and he doesn’t have poopy butt or anything and he poops normally, but sometimes when he comes around me he smells like poop, is this because his cage is dirty sometimes? I clean his cage and litter every 4-5 days. Do I have to clean him and give him a bath? I have a bunny spray which makes them smell better, but is that good for their fur? I think he smells bad because his poop has been smelling really bad lately too, but they look the exact same as before, and I don’t really give him junk food.

[Monkeybun]

I clean out my bun’s litter at least once a day, she poops alot so leaving it longer does make her a bit more smelly. I wouldn’t bathe your bun, or use a spray either. Just clean the litter and cage a little more frequently, and the smell should go away more.

[sally]

I’ve recently noticed a smell lingereing aswell with my 2 buns, and I think it is because I dont change the litter every day, usually every few days. So im going to start doing the litter every day, but leave the full clean out as it is.

[t-dogg]

So I have to take out all of the litter and leftover hay everyday??

[Balefulregards]

Depends on your bun – His anal glands may be a bit full and need cleaning, and that can make them smell skunky too…

[jerseygirl]

You could just scoop out the soiled stuff and put some fresh litter and hay over the top. Then do the normal full clean out every 4-5 days. Sometimes when they do territorial poop, that can smell. Also anal scent glands. Is it the fur that’s harbouring the smell? Instead of a bath, you can give him a dry bath. Just use pure corn starch on his fur and brush it thru, then out.

[t-dogg]

Well the smell goes away after I do the full cleaning on the litter, than he smells fine, but after the litter is 4-7 days he smells rreally bad.

[Sarita]

Well 4 to 7 days is a long time not to change litter. I have 9 rabbits and I change my litter boxes (7) every 4 days. I’d change it more often if I could too.

I think with just one litter box changing it more often if the odor bothers you is what you are going to have to do. It probably bother Bobo too.

What type of litter are you using?

[Monkeybun]

Yeah, if the smell goes away after changing the litter, thats a good indication that you should change it more often if the smell bothers you

[t-dogg]

Well it’s carefresh bedding, it says it has no pine/cedar oils. This is the one http://www.petco.com/product/3370/Carefresh-Pet-Bedding.aspx?CoreCat=LN_Shopping_SmallAnimalSupplies_Rabbits_BeddingandLitter.

okay, i’ll try to change it more often now.

[Monkeybun]

I use carefresh as well, just make sure to clear out soiled bits frequently, and no more smelly rabbit

[bunnymama]

I also use carefresh ultra which costs more but is more absorbment. I change the poop dishes every day. Here is my poop dish method:
First a papertowel square folded twice into a triangle goes in the corner (I have hi-corner dishes). Then I put some corncob in and then the carefresh ultra. I noticed that if the urine has something to absorb it, it dries fast and does not smell – hence the extra paper towel on the bottom. I would try to clean the poop dishes more often then you have been.

[t-dogg]

hmm okay, what kinds of litter are bad for your rabbits by the way??

[Sarita]

You can also try Yesterday’s News – get the one in the cat section as it’s the same as the stuff in the small animal section, but cheaper.

[Beka27]

I have litterbox cleaning down to a science: I have been able to reduce my litter changes to twice a week… we use wood stove pellets (excellent for absorbing urine and for odor-control and CHEAP!) My two buns have two medium, cat sized litterboxes in their pen, so the buns go thru a total of 4 litter changes a week. I always change litter on Tuesdays (garbage day is Wednesday morning) and I do it again either Friday evening or Saturday morning. I dump the old litter out (only once a week I clean with white vinegar) and I place three folded up sections of newspaper in each box. I do a little bit of pellets on top, about 3 cups per box… and I’m done. The newspaper layer helps because it absorbs urine and I can peel it out and it keeps the bottom of the box from getting too yucky in between washings.

Are you only putting litter in the litterbox? Another option might be that he’s peeing somewhere else, and you’re not noticing it. What size is his litterbox? A bigger box would not need to be changed as much. I used to use those small critter corner boxes but 1) they are more expensive, 2) it didn’t contain the mess, at least for my bun, and 3) it had to be changed more frequently. Are you cleaning out the box with vinegar every once in awhile?

[t-dogg]

Well, I put hay in two with the litter, and he used to pee out before now I haven’t been seing it. His litterbox sixe is 13.5 L x 14W x 7H. And no, I haven’t actually used the vinegar.. How can I use it, like how should I apply it?

[Barbie]

I have a plastic spray bottle that I keep filled with a half vinegar half water solution. Good for grabbing and spraying on pee and poo spots to discourage Leroy from coming back to that spot to potty again. Also, it works wonders on stains. I’ve even gotten red slushie off of white sheets using just the vinegar solution, and some scrubbing. (And yes, I ran out to the gas station to get a slushie to eat in bed ) You could use the spray bottle for cleaning too – that’s what I do, or just a large bowel or bucket and sponge of some sort if you’re going to be doing a lot of cleaning. Unless the stinky smell is really really awful, I’d only clean with vinegar every few days, like Beka said. If you wash away all his scent, he might forget where to go potty.

[Beka27]

I actually only clean with vinegar once a week. For the other cleaning I just dump out the litter and wipe the box out with a damp paper towel. To clean with the vinegar, I take the boxes to our laundry room utility sink and I rinse them with hot water… then I pour enough vinegar to cover the bottom and I let them sit for awhile (maybe 5-10 minutes: during this time I clean up the rest of the bunny pen). Then I scrub really good, rinse thoroughly, and let them dry.

[Sarita]

I use the vinegar/water solution spray each time.

[t-dogg]

Ohh, okay thanks guys I gotta do this next time !

[Balefulregards]

I laughed Beka – My cleanings are around garbage pickup days too!

There is a huge difference between Coco and Jackson. Coco has her twice a week changes – and never smells between. Once a week I wash her box with the vinegar solution.

Jackson? Almost every day. He is a peeing machine. His litterbox habits are excellent but he must drink 4 times the amount of water as Coco. I’ve been washing his box every other day with the vinegar as his hormones ( which are subsiding) make him a bit smellier.

I also spent my afternoon pricing litters at a variety of stores. I found a pine pellet that is 5.99 for 20lbs, so I may go with that one. I’ve not found the pellet aspen …and I can’t find a real feed store in Montreal. But again – You should have seen the clerks faces as I tried to explain what I was looking for and why….

[bunnymama]

Beka27 just wanted to say that I had a chance to go to rural IL last weekend and bought some wood stove pellets and will try your poop dish regiment and will post in a few weeks when I get a chance to try it. Thanks!

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